President Biden’s allies and media pundits have come under fire for their repeated use of the term gratuitous to describe Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report on the president’s handling of classified documents. The report, which was made public last week, cleared Biden of any wrongdoing but criticized his memory lapses and described him as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory. Critics argue that the use of the term gratuitous is unwarranted and politically motivated.
During a press briefing on Friday, Biden’s spokesperson for Oversight and Investigations, Ian Sams, referred to the report as gratuitous, stating that the remarks made by Hur were wrong and inaccurate. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre echoed these sentiments, dismissing the report as unacceptable and noting that it does not live in reality.
Vice President Kamala Harris also criticized Hur’s report, labeling it as politically motivated and lambasting it as gratuitous, inaccurate, and inappropriate. Democratic allies of the president and media pundits have echoed these sentiments, using the term gratuitous to describe the report’s references to Biden’s memory lapses and age.
Despite acknowledging that the report was largely accurate, CNN legal analyst Norm Eisen argued that the mention of Biden’s age and memory went too far and was gratuitous. MSNBC legal analyst Neal Katyal also expressed surprise at the report’s reference to Biden’s age and memory, calling it totally wrong and inappropriate.
The report has drawn criticism from various Democratic lawmakers as well. DHS Secretary Mayorkas described Hur’s remarks as gratuitous, unnecessary, and inaccurate. Democratic Reps. Ro Khanna, Jamie Raskin, and Daniel Goldman also voiced their objections to the report’s references to Biden’s memory and age, deeming them unnecessary and politically motivated.
The mention of Beau Biden’s death in the report also stirred controversy. Democratic Rep. Raskin criticized the report for taking gratuitous slaps at Joe Biden because of his age. Rep. Khanna expressed his dismay at the gratuitous mention of Beau Biden’s death, questioning why the country was politicizing such a personal matter.
The use of the term gratuitous has generated significant debate, with some arguing that it diminishes the importance of the report’s findings while others believe it highlights perceived biases in Hur’s assessment of Biden. While the report cleared Biden of any criminal charges, its characterization of the president has sparked criticism and raised concerns about potential political motives.
In conclusion, President Biden’s allies and media pundits have repeatedly described Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report as gratuitous, drawing attention to its references to Biden’s memory lapses and age. Critics argue that the use of this term undermines the report’s findings, while others question the motivations behind the report’s characterization of the president. The controversy surrounding the report highlights the ongoing scrutiny of Biden’s handling of classified documents and his mental acuity.
